The St. Louis Blues continue to win a lot of games in the second-to-last month of the season, jeopardizing their place in the upcoming draft lottery. That isn't all that bad, as this team is playing competitive hockey to try and figure out who belongs, and who does not, in the next phase of this franchise.
A rebuild has not been announced, nor has a retool. But with the trades of defenseman Justin Faulk and captain Brayden Schenn, something is on the horizon. We just don't know what General Manager Alexander Steen has in store for that.
One thing is for certain, that head coach Jim Montgomery is the best man for the job. He has a proven track record, and this team absolutely loves playing under him. There is a very good case to make that he will be with this organization for a long time, and with that, hopefully, a lot of successful years.
Let's talk about why he is the best coach to have going into, and hopefully soon out of, whatever the next era of the Blues franchise.
Proven winner
Montgomery proved that he is a winner with Boston before being surprisingly cut out of their plans last season. When he quickly signed on with the Blues, in place of fired coach Drew Banister, it was almost a match made in heaven.
He came in last season and completely turned this franchise into a winning brand. It was rocky for most of the year, but obviously, he had a huge part in the 12-game franchise record-setting win streak that catapulted this team into the playoffs. If not for two last second-goals by Winnipeg in the first-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, who knows how much further the Blues could have gone.
Now, with the playoffs nearly out of reach, but also still within, the Blues are in a weird spot. They hold pretty good ground on the playoff hunt, as they are currently seven points behind Seattle with the same amount of games played. But, they are also currently in the fifth-best position to get the first-overall pick at 8.5%.
The only man for the job
Montgomery has his DNA in this team. He has been building it since he got here last season, and even though it did not work out so far in 2025-26, that should not deter Steen from Montgomery. If anything, it should be a good sign for things to come, as this team will start to become more concrete for the 2026-27 season.
All eyes are on the summer, as Robert Thomas may still be moved, as well as Jordan Kyrou. The up-and-comers like Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky have established themselves as everyday NHLers that can make an impact. Logan Mailloux has been a roller coaster, but it seems he is finally reaching his true potential. Even Philip Broberg at 24-years-old is proving to be a true first-pair defenseman. The kids are going to be alright.
Goaltending will be another hot topic this summer. Montgomery will have the most impact on this matter, as he will have the final say on who goes out there for most of the 2026-27 season. Joel Hofer has earned the right, but Jordan Binnington has still shown his clutch gene with international play. The pipeline, between the pipes, is still very green and inexperiencied, so that is another issue.
Montgomery is the only coach who can keep this team afloat. Assistant coach, and current head coach in Springfield, Steve Ott, is a fantastic transition from Montgomery for the future. But that is still a ways away from now.
For now, Montgomery has to be the key piece to pushing this team from the bottom to the top.